IFF

General Dynamics Mission Systems has won a contract worth up to $69.7 million to produce the KIV-78A cryptographic device, a piece of hardware that sits at the heart of how allied military aircraft identify each other in contested airspace, with the contract covering Foreign Military Sales to 18 countries across NATO, the Indo-Pacific, and the Middle East. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Cryptologic and Cyber Systems Division in San Antonio, Texas, awarded the indefinite-delivery requirements contract to General Dynamics' Scottsdale, Arizona, according to the Department of War's contracts announcement. Work will be performed in Scottsdale and is expected to be completed by May 5, 2031. Fiscal 2026 procurement funds of $8,269,381 were obligated on the first delivery order at the time of contract award. The contract covers production of the KIV-78A and its circuit card assemblies. The KIV-78A is a cryptographic device that provides security services for Identification Friend or Foe systems, specifically the Mark XIIA Mode 5 IFF Combined Interrogator/Transponder systems used by military aircraft. IFF is the cooperative electronic system that allows military forces to distinguish friendly aircraft from hostile ones in real time, a function that becomes critical in any environment where multiple aircraft from multiple nations are operating simultaneously, and where the consequences of misidentification can include friendly fire. The Mark XIIA Mode 5 standard is the current generation of IFF technology used by the United States and its allies, and the KIV-78A is the cryptographic component that secures the data exchanged between interrogators and transponders in that system — the part that ensures the identification codes being broadcast and received cannot be spoofed or replicated by an adversary. The KIV-78A replaces the KIV-78, which is approaching end of life after years of certified service. The new device uses General Dynamics' Advanced INFOSEC Machine III cryptographic processor, which incorporates NSA Cryptographic Modernization 2 compliant features including new protections for its upgradeable software. CM2 compliance is the National Security Agency's current standard for cryptographic systems used in classified and sensitive government applications, and an IFF cryptographic device that meets that standard is being built to the most current NSA requirements for protecting the kind of sensitive identification data that adversaries would target in any sophisticated electronic warfare campaign. The KIV-78A's NSA certification is in progress at the time of the contract award, according to the announcement. The Foreign Military Sales dimension of this contract is extensive. The 18 named customers span the breadth of U.S. allied relationships: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. The contract notice indicates additional countries beyond those named may also be covered. That list represents a significant portion of the nations operating NATO-standard or U.S.-compatible military aviation, and the fact that a single General Dynamics contract in Scottsdale covers cryptographic production for all of them simultaneously reflects how deeply integrated U.S. and allied IFF architecture has become. Every F-35, every Eurofighter, every C-17, and dozens of other platform types operated by those nations depend on compatible IFF cryptographic systems to function safely alongside American aircraft in a coalition environment. General Dynamics describes itself as a leading supplier of cryptography for avionics systems with nearly 50 years of High Assurance system development experience, per the company's product description. High Assurance in the cryptographic context refers specifically to systems that meet NSA requirements for protecting classified or sensitive national security information, a different and more rigorous standard than commercial-grade encryption. Building that kind of capability in a ruggedized, lightweight, low-power form factor small enough to fit inside a military aircraft's avionics bay requires a combination of cryptographic expertise, aerospace engineering discipline, and manufacturing precision that very few companies can provide. The KIV-78 has been certified and fielded for years, and the transition to the KIV-78A represents the natural lifecycle replacement cycle that keeps cryptographic systems current as both the threat environment and NSA standards evolve. A cryptographic device that was state of the art a decade ago may be approaching the limits of its key management capabilities, software updateability, or resistance to modern attack techniques. The CM2-compliant KIV-78A with its upgradeable software architecture is designed to remain relevant through software updates rather than requiring another hardware replacement cycle every time cryptographic standards advance.

IFF

TRENDING NOW

Ukraine crosses new line: drones kill Shaheds on autopilot

Satellite imagery suggests Russia’s tank reserve is nearly gone

Norway’s KONGSBERG buys U.S. maker of mass-produced missiles

Europe’s $110 billion fighter jet project is officially dead

Diehl unveils new-generation IRIS-T air defense system

About The Defence Blog

IFF

General Dynamics wins crypto systems contract for 18 allied militaries